Key takeaways:
- Mayor emphasizes contribution is going to the airport management.
- Stephenville town council unanimously supported a $50,000 funding for the regional airport authority meeting Thursday night.
A Stephenville councilor expressed a mess regarding who owns the airport in the town, as he and his associates voted to support a $50,000 donation to keep the facility running.
“I’m simply a little bit confused at this point,” Coun. Lenny Tiller stated at Thursday night’s public town council meeting.
Tiller indicated numerous online references displaying that the Dymond Group of Companies owns the operation, renaming Stephenville Dymond International Airport.
He said Twitter and LinkedIn accounts are utilizing the rechristened name. Tiller reported that the airport’s website shows questions to the Dymond Group’s LinkedIn page.
However, in January, the Stephenville Airport Corporation said it always owns the facility. There has since been no official statement that any agreement has been signed.
“There’s a fault here where the public domain states the airport has been purchased and is renamed,” Tiller said.
Read more: Gander airport shut after Cormorant chopper collision
“And it’s on considerable things, it’s on the website, it’s on the airport’s website itself, and that’s a rather frightening thing.”
Tiller said it’s no drawback of the airport or the Dymond Group but does make it challenging to vote on giving out taxpayers’ cash.
Mayor Tom Rose emphasized that the money is going to the Stephenville Airport Corporation to uphold the facility running.
“That’s 100 percent. The bank accounts and the operation are yet with the airport authority until the terms are fulfilled,” Rose stated in response to Tiller.
“Perfect comment. It’s a big file. Big problem. And fingers crossed that it’s all heading to work out to everybody’s most suitable interests.”
The vote on the $50,000 budget passed unanimously. Several $30,000 of that sum is given to operations. The remaining $20,000 goes to a Winnipeg firm as part of a long-standing agreement to offer airport management and safety management assistance.
Source – cbc.ca
